Shy of the Yellow Brick Road
by EloquentMisprints
Summary: Only Oz's most elite were allowed past the wrought iron gate that guarded Oscar Diggs Academy and Kurt Hummel just became one of them; along with a pyrotechnically gifted freshman, an overexcited sophomore, and an extremely cute, openly gay prefect!


_Hey there! Welcome to the lovely land of Oz! Sadly, this is pretty much what goes on in my head 24/7, so you are in for a lot of insanity. Be prepared to see a whole new side to the Glee characters we love (and love to hate) and meet quite a few new faces; you can blame Sebastian for the overwhelming amount of new boys, he just couldn't resist letting them all in. Reviews aren't a necessary evil around here, though always appreciated, my boys will be plaguing fanfiction archives whether they receive the reviews they are hoping for or not. A huge THANK YOU and lots of love to my lovely Beta _**rebeccarave**_!_

_**(Disclaimer: I do not own Oz or glee)**_

_Now, without further ado, I bring you this very special presentation of _Shy of the Yellow Brick Road.

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><p><span>Shy of the Yellow Brick Road<span>

Chapter 1

Oscar Diggs Academy was a large, rather imposing campus located a few miles from the Emerald City, easily found if you stray just slightly to the left of the yellow brick road. Only Oz's most elite were allowed to pass through the swirling, wrought iron gate that guarded the Academy. It is at this gate that our story began so many years ago…

"Ah, Kurt Hummel, welcome to Oscar Diggs!" a thin, smartly dressed woman greeted the pale teenage boy from just beyond the gate, "I am Dean Mulligan. Please, this way." The boy hovered for a moment, eyes raking across the lush, impeccably manicured grounds.

"Come along now, don't doddle." The woman chirped, casting a glance over her shoulder at the young boy. Kurt hurried after the woman, heart racing in his chest as they neared the largest of all of the buildings.

"This is the Baum building," she explained, "your classes will be held in here, along with most school functions. The main office is located on the first floor." The ornately decorated doors flung open with a flick of the woman's wand, revealing the grand foyer made almost completely of jade and marble. A flustered looking munchkin woman hurried in front of them, obnoxiously colored hair flying wildly behind her.

"Oh, Ellen there you are!" she panted, steadying herself against a large green pillar.

"What's the matter Ms. Felix?" the Dean Mulligan asked, brow scrunching in confusion. Ms. Felix motioned to the stairs where three dark haired identical boys in uniforms were lounging.

"We haven't done anything wrong," the first one announced, sighing heavily and leaning his head back against the wooden railing.

" 'Innocent until proven guilty.' Right, Dean Mulligan?" the middle one supplied hopefully, grinning at the woman. The Dean crossed her arms, fighting the amused smile that was threatening to creep onto her face.

"This isn't America, Nichodemus." She remarked. "No arguments this time, Nixon? I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised." The final boy, Nixon, jerked slightly and lifted his head, blinking rapidly as he took in his surroundings.

"Huh? What now?" he mumbled, stifling a yawn. The first boy reached over and smacked him upside the head, laughing loudly when he slipped down onto the next stair.

"Enough, Nathaniel." The Dean chastised, "I suppose whatever you did is worth yet another week's detention." Nixon's eyes grew wide before he turned to glare at Nathaniel- or was it Nichodemus? Kurt averted his gaze from the three (now bickering) boys and instead began to pick out hidden images in the marble pillars.

"I told you that it was a bad idea, Nathan." Nixon grumbled.

"How was I supposed to know that it'd blow up?" Nathaniel bellowed, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

"How about you both just shut up before she doubles it?" Nichodemus demanded, shooting them both the angriest look he could manage. All three boys' attention snapped back to the Dean. They began wringing their hands anxiously. Dean Mulligan rubbed her temples angrily and sighed before turning to Kurt.

"Kurt, my boy," she mumbled wearily, "meet your new housemates… the Harmon Triplets." The transfer student raised an eyebrow before appraising the three boys in front of him. The boy in the middle straightened slightly and waved.

"Hey there," he greeted, "um… I'm Nichodemus, but you can call me Nick," he gestured to his left, "this is Nathaniel- if you haven't figured that one out yet," then to his right, "and this is Nixon." Nathaniel cast Kurt a tired glance before returning his attention to the Dean.

"Only _you_ would introduce yourself to the new kid while we're getting our asses reamed." Nixon grumbled under his breath. Nick glared and elbowed his brother in the ribs, shooting Kurt one last smile.

"Just- Just go back to class and behave," Dean Mulligan ordered, waving the boys off. She turned back to Ms. Felix, "You know the drill." The other woman grimaced and followed the brothers up the stairs and back to her classroom. The tired looking woman managed a small smile, before leading Kurt farther into the Baum building.

"Here at Oscar Diggs, we have a very strict zero-tolerance bullying policy, as you may have read," she explained, continuing as if she hadn't been interrupted as she ushered him down a narrow hallway, "I believe that you will be an exquisite addition to our institution, but if any problems arise, my door is always open. If you don't feel that you can come to me," she motioned to her right, "we have a campus psychologist hired for the sole purpose of preserving our students' mental health. The admissions office is fully aware of some our… more troubled youth." The Dean flicked her wand and the door at the end of the hallway creaked open, revealing a lavishly decorated office. The Dean took a seat behind her intricately adorned desk and gestured for Kurt to have a seat in one of the plump leather armchairs opposite it. Plucking a thin file off her desk, she smiled at Kurt.

"Here is your schedule and your room assignment." She announced as she removed a piece of paper from the file and passed it across the desk. "You have been assigned to room 23 in our Western dormitory, Henkle House."

"The um… the boys in the hallway, they live in Henkle as well?" Kurt asked hesitantly. The Dean let out a quiet laugh.

"The Harmon boys are a little… creative, that's all. I can assure you that they are completely harmless, but if it will put your mind at ease I can tell you that you will not be sharing a room with any of them." The woman said softly, "Your roommate is definitely less apt to get into trouble. He even volunteered to give you the grand tour."

A knock on the door resounded around the room.

"Come in, Thad!" A small, dark haired boy poked his head into the room and smiled before striding over to Kurt and extending his hand.

"You must be Kurt," he greeted.

"And you must be Thad," Kurt teased as he shook the other boy's hand. Thad nodded and turned to Dean Mulligan, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Ready for me to take him off your hands?" he inquired with a slight laugh, "Or should I step outside and let you finish up?"

"I do believe that we are done here," the Dean responded, "Your belongings are waiting for you in your room." Kurt nodded and slowly began to follow his roommate out the door, excitement washing over him.

"Oh, and Kurt," the Dean called, Kurt turned to face her, "Welcome." The pale boy nodded and waved slightly before following after his new companion. Thad, he noticed, seemed more put together than the Harmon triplets… and a lot less boisterous.

"So," Thad started once they reached the end of the hallway, "first of all, welcome to both Oscar Diggs and Henkle House; I promise that not all of us are like the triplets. Don't worry, you'll get used to them." The smaller boy shrugged and proceeded to lead Kurt from the Baum building and into the main courtyard.

"Where to first?" Kurt asked, eyeing the massive estate curiously.

"I was thinking we could head over to Henkle and get you unpacked. It'll probably be around lunchtime when we finish. You don't want to walk the entire campus on an empty stomach, trust me." Thad explained with a quiet chuckle. The walk to the dormitory was longer than it appeared, cleverly disguised by a winding lavender paved path. Henkle House was a very large, very intimidating building with canary yellow cathedral style doors (complete with intricately designed stained glass windowpanes) and broad windows, view partially obscured by the ivy crawling up the walls.

"It's even more impressive inside," Thad said with a wink, tugging open the doors to reveal a spacious, expensive looking room that appeared to be built around a large golden statue of the legendary Scarecrow. An emerald encrusted chandelier loomed overhead, sparkling in the sunlight that filtered through the high windows.

"Home sweet home," Thad announced with a grin, "rather extraordinary, don't you think?"

"I'd say," Kurt breathed. Thad tilted his head to the left, urging the transfer student to follow him into the next room. On the far end, a fireplace crackled in greeting, lined on either side by overflowing bookshelves; several couches and armchairs were scattered across the space, accompanied by the occasional side or coffee table.

"This is the common room," Thad explained, "a few of the guys come here to study, but I don't recommend it… it gets kind of loud living with the triplets and all. Most of us just hang out here after class and wind down. We have the occasional movie night or card game, but usually we just kind of sit around and talk. The kitchen is through that door over there. Nothing too over the top, but we haven't managed to blow anything up yet, so all of the appliances work. You're welcome to help yourself any time, day or night. Blaine isn't too strict with bed checks or anything, just make sure you're in the house by curfew."

"Blaine?" Kurt questioned, raising an inquisitive eyebrow as he tried to absorb the other boy's spiel.

"He's our prefect." Thad clarified, "His job is to ensure that we don't catch the house on fire or kill ourselves, but you know… it's a house full of teenage boys, and some guys have a knack for blowing things up, but no one has been seriously injured as of yet."

"I think you're forgetting Ramus!" a voice chimed in from across the room. Thad glared in the speaker's general direction before turning back to Kurt.

"Don't mind Jeffrey," he mumbled, "he isn't right in the head. He's a compulsive asshole." A blonde head suddenly popped up over the back of one of the couches to shoot Thad a dirty look.

"Am not," he argued before sticking out his tongue, "and for the hundred and fourth time, don't call me Jeffrey!"

"Hundred and fourth? How… specific of you." Kurt muttered under his breath, chuckling quietly to himself. Thad's eyes widened momentarily before he wrapped a hand around the other boy's wrist and made a dash for the doorway.

"I keep count," Jeff called after them, causing Kurt to stop and turn back to him. The blonde rose from the couch and made his way over. Thad groaned and hung his head, slowly walking over to one of the armchairs and taking a seat.

"Now you've done it," he groaned, sinking deeper into the chair. Jeff threw another playful glare at the other boy before turning his attention back to Kurt.

"It's kind of my gift, if you will," he explained shrugging, "I work well with numbers. They just kind of store themselves in the back of my mind. I have to equate everything to a number or else I will forget it, it's rather annoying."

"His brain is so crammed full with mathematical equations that he forgets his manners most of the time," Thad interjected with a laugh. "Jeff this is my new roommate, Kurt, and he is very impressed with the way you introduced yourself." Jeff turned bright red and extended his hand to the new boy, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry, like I said, most of the space is filled up with numbers. I'm Jeffrey Thompson, but you can call me Jeff." He mumbled, ducking his head.

"Kurt Hummel," the brunette responded as they shook hands. Thad cleared his throat from across the room and stood up, making his way back over to the pair and muttering something about showing Kurt the rest of the house before dragging the aforementioned boy out of the room.

"The study and the prefect's quarters are that way," Thad gestured toward the opposite end of the house, "that half of the main floor is usually vacant though, seeing as Blaine spends most of his time in the common room with us. That and the fact that the triplets' antics can still be heard in the study, so must guys choose to do their homework in the safety of their own rooms." The two boys made their way over to the spiral staircase, which was positioned directly behind the Scarecrow's monument, and up the winding structure. Thad dismissed the second floor with a wave of his hand and continued up the stairs to the third floor where their dorm was located.

"It's relatively quiet up here," he mentioned offhandedly as he opened their door, "mainly because the fourth floor is used primarily for storage so there aren't any boys horsing around over our heads." The room was tastefully done, so much so that Kurt couldn't even complain about the yellow paint that covered the walls, with a chrome bedframe on either side of the room and matching bedside tables. A glass top desk sat beneath each window, books already strewn across their surfaces. Kurt hummed with content when he noticed the nook in the wall beside either bed, clearly intended to be a closet and a decent sized one at that.

"So this is it," Thad murmured, knocking Kurt from his revere. "Nothing too impressive, but it's home." Kurt snorted before slapping his hand over his mouth. He was blushing furiously as he scrambled over to his bags that had been placed on the right side of the room. After attempting to help Kurt unpack, and having that offer promptly rejected in the nicest way possible, Thad settled on his bed with his 'Literature of the World' textbook in his lap.

_ -is most famous for his play 'Romeo and Juliet' and is now considered the English equivalent to Oz's very own Trinity Fairview. His plays have touched the hearts of many people throughout the globe and we, as residents of Oz, have been fortunate enough to receive the original manuscript of 'Julius Caesar', another of Shakespeare's most famous works, which chronicles the life and death of yet another historical figure- _

"Hey Thad, have you started on your literature report yet?" inquired a frazzled looking ginger haired boy as he burst through the door. Thad raised his book from his lap, flashing the other boy the cover before sighing and tossing it next to him on the bed.

"Thank the wizard," the redhead grumbled, clambering onto Thad's bed and scrubbing his hand over his face furiously, "I _cannot_ understand how this Shakespeare guy ended up so famous, I mean seriously 'O! she doth teach the torches to burn bright' what the _hell_ is a doth?"

"I think it's something along the same lines as 'does'." Kurt answered, startling the already flustered boy. "The whole quote basically means that he thinks she's hot."

"That totally makes sense!" the other boy cried. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, strange boy that I have never seen before." Kurt laughed and placed the shoes he had been holding the bottom of his, now overflowing, closet.

"No problem, I'm Kurt by the way." He introduced, flashing a smile toward the ginger haired teenager.

"Lyndon," the other boy replied with a smile of his own, "I live across the hall." Kurt nodded, mentally filing away that piece of information, and returned to unpacking his final suitcase. Thad watched in amusement as Lyndon scribbled down the translation Kurt had given him before attempting to decipher the next line. The clock tower in the middle of the courtyard sprang to life, signaling the beginning of lunch and successfully startling Kurt into dropping his moisturizer on his foot. The brunette swore under his breath and placed the bulky container on his desk a little harder than was necessary.

"Lunch time!" Lyndon sing-songed loudly, slamming his literature book closed and hopping off Thad's bed. The three boys made their way to the stairs, chatting excitedly.

"Do all the houses have the same lunch period?" Kurt asked, clutching the banister to avoid falling down the stairs.

"We all get two hours for a free period," Thad explained with a shrug, "people just come and go as they please, but if you plan on eating, your best bet is to be one of the first students to the dining hall or you risk having to brave yesterday's leftovers."

"Thad, Thad, Thad," Lyndon chanted eagerly, bouncing slightly as he walked, "Have you introduced him to Wes and David yet?"

"Should I be scared?" Kurt questioned with wide eyes. Lyndon clapped his hands together and hopped from the last stair into the foyer. Thad shook his head and rolled his eyes at the redheaded boy's antics, chuckling under his breath.

"Can I do it, Thad? Can I? Can I? Can I?" Lyndon pleaded, his words slurring together in all his excitement, "Please?" Thad shrugged indifferently earning a loud squeal from the bouncing boy, accompanied by a fist bump and a murmured statement that sounded suspiciously like 'Victory is mine!' but he couldn't be sure.

"Yeah, I have this nagging feeling in my gut telling me that I should be scared… very, very scared, so I'm just going to go with it," Kurt teased, only a hint of seriousness in his tone. Lyndon pushed opened the front doors before skipping down the steps and onto the purple path. A multitude of boys could be seen hurrying from the Baum building to swarm in front of what Kurt assumed was the dining facility; Lyndon let out a tiny whine in the back of his throat and linked arms with his housemates.

"Come on," he urged, tugging them toward the crowd, "its chocolate mousse day!" Kurt shot Thad as side long glance as he allowed himself to be guided into the mass of hungry teenage boys, against his better judgment. Lyndon continued talk eagerly, but Kurt could only pick out the occasional 'excuse me' or 'coming through' as the redhead pushed toward the front of the mob. A pleasant smell wafted from the doors and Kurt found himself suddenly realizing just how hungry he actually was. This meant that he wouldn't be able to just make a tactful excuse and escape to the confines of his dorm room. Finally, the crowd gave way and the three boys found themselves in the dining hall, empty trays being thrust at them by an annoyed looking staff member. The long table at the head of the room was overflowing with some of Oz's most… unique dishes (along with the occasional plate of international cuisine here and there).

"This is amazing," Lyndon gushed as he ladled some form of stew into a bowl and passed it to Kurt, "and you have to try this!" Another foreign substance was dropped on the new boy's tray, followed quickly by yet another recommendation from the redhead.

"You realize that he isn't going anywhere, right Lyn?" Thad joked as he placed an American hamburger onto his tray before grabbed a handful of… well, Kurt wasn't exactly sure what he was grabbing, but it looked good. Lyndon finally handed Kurt something that he could identify, the chocolate mousse the redhead had spoken of so eagerly earlier. Thad lead the other boys away from the buffet and deeper into the dining hall. They made their way toward one of the smaller round tables that crowded most of the space. Jeff and the triplets were already seated, attempting to talk around the large amounts of food. Lyndon frowned and whined as he and Thad took a seat on either side of the new boy, the rest of the table too preoccupied to notice their presence.

"They aren't here yet," he moaned, catching the attention of a few of the other uniformed boys in the process.

"Who's not here?" one of the triplets asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Wes and David," Lyndon answered as he stuffed a piece of what appeared to be a dinner roll in his mouth. The other boy nodded and glanced over his shoulder, searching the room for the duo in question.

"Rouse kept them after class," another triplet piped up, "I reckon he's writing them another detention, couldn't keep their mouths shut last period. Not that I really blame them, Rouse can't teach worth a-"

"Nathan," the final triplet warned, pausing from his animated conversation with Jeff only long enough to chastise his brother.

"Yes mom," Nathan drawled, rolling his eyes at his sibling before returning his attention to the massive heap of mashed potatoes on his plate. Lyndon jammed the rest of the dinner roll in his mouth and swallowed hard, turning to Kurt with a grin on his face.

"Kurt," he started, vibrating in his seat, "have you met the Harmon Triplets yet?"

"Briefly," Kurt murmured with a smirk. Nathan mumbled something under his breath as he shoveled another spoonful of potatoes into his mouth, not even bothering to look over at the transfer student.

"Damn it," Lyndon grumbled, his mood slightly dampened. Kurt raised an eyebrow at the pouting teenager, fighting the urge to laugh.

"Get over it Fletcher," Nathan snapped, glaring over at Lyndon, "your hyperactivity is making me lose my appetite." The redhead shot Nathan a dirty look and returned his attention to the mountain of food that was surprisingly still on his tray.

"Don't mind Nathan," Thad dismissed with a chuckle, "he kind of has the personality of a wet rag." A spoonful of mashed potatoes whizzed past the brunette's head, narrowly avoiding another student's blazer.

"He is just grumpy because we got caught earlier," another triplet amended, "isn't that right?" Nathan loaded another spoonful and aimed it at his brother.

"Can it, Nixon." He snapped, deciding that he'd rather not waste the food and instead choosing to put the potatoes in his mouth. Nixon elbowed in brother in the ribs, taking a bite of his own lunch before speaking again.

"So, how are you settling in… um…?" he inquired.

"Kurt," the other boy supplied. "All I've had time to do is unpack. But Thad said something about taking me on a grand tour of the campus after lunch." Nixon nodded knowingly, rolling an apple between the palm of his hand and the tabletop.

"It's a lot more enjoyable if you don't do it on an empty stomach." He commented, "Oh, and wear comfortable shoes. The campus is bigger than it looks, and that's really saying something." Kurt wrinkled his nose and took a tentative bite of the stew Lyndon had given him.

"No, there is no way!" a dark skinned boy bellowed as he neared the table with an Asian teenager.

"It's just a little project," the other boy pleaded, "and I really don't want to have to take the midterm. Please, David?" The dark skinned boy, David, tightened his jaw and slumped down into one of the dining hall chairs.

"But we aren't doing that bad in his class, Wes." David argued, "I think that he's just out to get us."

"We failed all three pop quizzes this quarter," Wes challenged, "and my parents will freak out if I don't get straight A's this semester. Remember last year? When they threatened room me with Chad if I didn't do well on my finals? Yeah, I really don't want to room with Chad, no offense." Wes said the last part to Thad.

"I don't blame you," Thad conceded, "and I'm his brother." Lyndon swallowed a mouthful of food and raised his hand, earning him a strange look from Wes as he attempted to keep David from banging his head against the table.

"I don't blame you either," Lyndon agreed with a laugh, "and I _am_ his roommate." Kurt picked idly at his food as the conversation continued, mainly consisting of David trying to point out ways that Roush was 'out to get' them.

"Wes, David, this is Thad's new roommate, Kurt, and he is very impressed with the way you introduced yourselves," Jeff teased from across the table, waving his fork as he spoke and shooting Thad a pointed look. Kurt choked on his lunch, mentally reprimanding himself for not remembering to swallow before laughing, and blushed furiously.

"Jeff!" Lyndon whined, "That was my job."

"Hey," Wes greeted with a slight wave in Kurt's direction, David simply lifted his head in greeting before smacking it back down against the table.

"Again," Jeff mused, "very impressed." The two boys brushed off the comment and continued their bickering. Wes was insisting that if they 'just went with it' they wouldn't have to take the midterm.

"What makes you think one project is going to put us in the clear?" David demanded, head still resting on the tabletop. Wes sighed and pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead.

"Because we have B's right now and if you have an A in the class you don't have to take the midterm." He explained, waving his hands around in frustration.

"But it's a waste of time!" the dark skinned boy complained.

"It's either waste our time for a few measly points that will boost us up to an A, or take a midterm that is worth fifty percent of our semester grade." Wes pointed out, nudging a meatball across his tray with a fork. There was a long, drawn out pause where all eyes were on David before the argument finally came to a close.

"Fine," he grumbled, "but if we fail it's on you." Wes's face contorted dramatically as he mimicked David's words, earning himself a slap to the back of the head from the dark skinned boy and a laugh from the rest of the group. Kurt, who had finished the last of his meal about the time that Nathan reverted to throwing mashed potatoes, sighed with relief when Thad stood and told the rest of the group that it was time for his tour. The pair hurried from the table, leaving a few mumbled goodbyes in their wake.

"Wes and David…?" Kurt started, squinting his eyes and working his jaw as he attempted to form the question that was running through his head.

"They live right below us," Thad responded knowingly, "but don't worry, they aren't always like that. Professor Roush tends to bring out the worst in people." Kurt nodded, praying that his brain could handle the amount of names and facts being jammed into it.

"Good to know," he mumbled, "So um… where to first?"

"That my friend is your choice." Thad responded, "I can actually walk you around the whole estate, which I would be happy to do, or I can give you a quick rundown and a promise to escort you wherever you'd like until you are comfortable here."

"Or we could completely forgo any form of a tour and I will just wonder around aimlessly tomorrow morning until someone takes pity on me," Kurt mused, "Yes, that plan is my favorite. Now let's get back to the house so that I can become properly acquainted with those appliances you told me about earlier."

"I like the way you think, Mr. Hummel," Thad joked, linking arms with the other boy. Kurt patted his arm gently and smiled down at him.

"These are Alexander McQueen, my dear Thad," he explained, gesturing to his boots, "I prefer to keep them intact for at least a little while longer."

* * *

><p>An hour later, Kurt found himself sprawled out on his bed, ankles crossed in air, as he skimmed through his massive 'Music Throughout the Ages' textbook. Thad had left for class not thirty minutes earlier, after informing his roommate that the elusive prefect had another free period and that it'd be wise to hunt him down before bed checks that night. Kurt's eyelids drooped, the words first doubling then tripling in his effort to stay awake. He decided that there was no time like the present to go looking for Lane- wait no, Blaine. Not even bothering to put up his textbook, the pale brunette made his way across the room and out the door. The house was completely silent, Kurt wondered if it ever be that way again, as he craned his neck to peer around one of the corners in search of the prefect.<p>

"Prefect's quarters," he reminded himself quietly, "downstairs, opposite the common room and the kitchen." There was the sudden clatter of someone on the stairs and Kurt caught a flash of a short, tan boy headed to the ground floor. Despite his nerves, he worked up enough courage to follow the boy, stopping him right as he reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Excuse me," he started, breath hitching when the teenager turned to face him, "Um… hi, can I ask you a question? I'm new here." The boy grinned up at him and extended a hand.

"My name is Blaine," he introduced. Kurt felt his jaw slacken slightly and prayed that the prefect didn't notice.

"Just who I have been looking for," he breathed, feeling the blush begin to creep up his neck well on its way to his cheeks, "I'm Kurt, Thad's new roommate." Blaine eyes widened and he clasped his hand over his mouth.

"I thought the sheet said you were coming tomorrow," he groaned, "I am so sorry, you must think I'm a complete ass." Kurt chuckled and shook his head, hopping down off the final step.

"No, Thad informed me that Jeff is Henkle's resident ass, but I will keep in mind that you're a close second," he joked, "but no, really, its fine. I have been pretty swarmed all day, what with unpacking and sharing my first meal with the triplets and a very foul Wes- maybe it was David, either way they weren't in a good mood."

"Neither of them are too happy after Roush's class," Blaine explained with a shrug, urging Kurt to follow him toward the study. "But they will be back to their normal, insane selves by the time curfew rolls around. Are you settling in all right?"

"Yeah, Thad's been a really big help," Kurt answered, chewing on his bottom lip, "I feel kind of bad about taking up his free period though, I'm sure there were plenty of other things he would have enjoyed more than repeatedly explaining to me that Ervic Library is in the Northern part of campus."

"I'm sure he loved it." Blaine amended, "The last time he got to show someone around was when Chadwick transferred in halfway through freshman year."

"Chadwick?" Kurt inquired, pursing his lips, "That's Thad's brother, right? I think I remember his name popping up a couple times at lunch." Blaine nodded, looking rather impressed as he grabbed a battered looking book off of one of the desks.

"Thaddeus and Chadwick Radcliffe," he murmured, "They are twins, but you'd never know it. I mean, they look alike and all, but you don't really notice once you get used to it, their personalities are way different. Chad spends a lot of time alone in his room studying, not that I really blame him, Lyndon's great and all, but he can get pretty excited and loud."

"That's an understatement," Kurt teased with a laugh, "so is he a freshman or…?"

"Sophomore, actually," the other boy responded, "Eli and Cade are the only two freshmen this year. Lyndon, Corzen, and Lambert are our sophomores and then Wes and David are seniors."

"So, wait, the rest of us are juniors?" Kurt asked, blinking in surprise.

"Yep," Blaine confirmed, "there are a lot of us. I can honestly say that I have never had a class that didn't have another Henkle boy in it; it's kind of reassuring to know that you will always have someone around if you need them." Every fiber of Kurt's being wanted to agree with Blaine's statement. He wanted to be able to tell the other boy that he knew what it felt like to have people care about him, that he was used to camaraderie; he shook off the sad feeling that threatened to break his demeanor and turned to inspect one of the bookshelves.

"Is everyone really that accepting here?" he asked, the words passing through his lips before he had properly thought them through.

"You're a Henkle boy now," Blaine assured him, "and we take care of each other. I don't have anything against the other houses, don't get me wrong, but here… we aren't about competing or judging each other; for some of us this is the closest we've got to a family."

"Blaine?" a voice called from the foyer. The shorter boy's face lit up and a grin took over his features.

"I'm in the study, babe." He yelled back, tossing the book in hands back onto the desk. A tall, impeccably dressed teenager entered the room, a math textbook dangling from his fingertips.

"Well hey there," he murmured as he sauntered over to Blaine, "I grabbed yours by mistake, figured you might want it back before Stein flips his lid." The boy handed the book to his companion and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Blaine blushed furiously and cleared his throat before turning back to Kurt.

"Sebastian, this is Kurt, Thad's new roommate," he introduced politely, "Kurt, this is Sebastian, my um… my boyfriend." Kurt's heart fluttered excitedly and tears sprung to his eyes. Blaine, house prefect, the boy that everyone spoke so _fondly_ of, was gay; so very openly gay and not donning a single slushie stain on his uniform!

"Pleasure to meet you," he responded, extending a hand toward Sebastian. The taller brunette nodded and shook his hand.

"Same," he agreed, a charming smile plastered on his face. Blaine turned the textbook over and sighed.

"I guess this means I have your book?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "I'll be right back." Sebastian squeezed his boyfriend's hand slightly before letting go and watching him disappear into the next room.

"So," he started, turning towards Kurt, "transfer?" Kurt nodded, "Where from?"

"McKinley High," Kurt whispered, his throat tightening, "over in Quadling country."

"That's a public school, right?" Sebastian asked conversationally.

"Yeah," the other boy answered, nodding his head again. Sebastian's gaze flicked over Kurt's eyes, glittering with unshed tears.

"I transferred in around this time last year," he explained, smiling reassuringly, "things just got too rough at my old school. I think- I think the names were worse than the beatings though, because those scars never completely heal." Kurt sniffed and looked away, settling himself onto one of the desks.

"Why are you telling me this?" he whispered, swallowing thickly. Sebastian gave a sad, half smile and exhaled quickly.

"Because I know what it's like," he responded quietly, "I'm not saying that I know your story, but I can tell you that it gets better; you won't feel out of place for long. And, to be completely honest, Henkle house is the best place for a transfer, especially one that feels out of place. But don't tell anyone I said that, my housemates may try to strangle me in my sleep." Kurt let out a quiet chuckle and caught his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Which house do you live in?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Isaac," Sebastian answered proudly, not at all phased by the slight change in topic. Blaine reappeared in the doorway, chest heaving lightly as he held up the textbook with both hands.

"Found it!" he cried victoriously, passing it over to his boyfriend.

"Where'd they hide it this time?" the taller brunette asked, accepting the item from his boyfriend and smirking knowingly. Blaine scowled at the object before answering.

"Jeff's room," he responded, wrinkling his nose, "on his bookshelf." Sebastian grimaced and mumbled something under his breath, shaking his head.

"I better head over to the Baum building," he breathed, his face contorting, "I need to talk to Stein before class. I'll see you at dinner?" Blaine nodded hastily, "Great. Nice meeting you, Kurt. Welcome to the Academy!" With that, Sebastian pressed a kiss to Blaine's cheek and hurried toward the exit. Kurt's emotions hit him full force, again, as he watched the loving and, well, _public_ display of affection.

He wanted to leave Blaine in the study and just go cry, cry for everything he had in him, because he had braced himself for the worst; he had been prepared to walk into the Academy and hear cruel words thrown around, but he hadn't braced himself for acceptance. The tiniest break in his resolve sent his walls crashing down, in front of a boy he had just met, and he couldn't muster enough energy to leave the room.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Blaine asked in a gentle voice, placing his hand on Kurt's shoulder and looking at him with concerned eyes.

"I wasn't prepared for this." Kurt whispered, "At-at my old school, I was pushed into lockers and thrown into dumpsters, I was threatened daily; coming here, I guess I expected subtle jabs at my sexuality, mumbled homophobic slurs, you know? I just didn't prepare for acceptance… in any form."

"I wouldn't talk to anyone the day I transferred." Blaine murmured. "My roommate, Ramus, he showed me around and introduced me to the guys, but the whole time I felt like if I spoke that everyone would somehow be able to tell that I was _gay_. I thought if they knew that I would become the butt of all the jokes, again, so I just nodded and smiled. That night, everyone was sitting around the common room, laughing and joking, and Ramus crawled into one of junior's laps and fell asleep; no one batted an eyelash and just I ran off to my room and cried until Wes and David came to see if I was all right." Kurt swallowed hard and looked as if he was going to say something when a loud thump echoed through the room from the other side of the house followed an explosion. Blaine's eyes fell closed and he threw his head back with a groan.

"Not again," he grumbled, hurrying off toward the kitchen, Kurt following behind cautiously. A cloud of smoke wafted from the kitchen into the common room and Blaine smacked his hand against his forehead.

"What did I tell you about using the stove, Eli?" he yelled over the sound of the fire alarm going off.

"But I was hungry!" a voice, Eli, called back. Blaine grabbed two pillows from one of the couches and made his way into the kitchen. A small, auburn haired boy stood in the center of the room, coughing and sputtering as he took one of the pillows from Blaine and began fanning the fire alarm. Kurt raised an eyebrow, leaning over to turn off the stove before grabbing a hand towel and aiding in the desperate attempt to silence the alarm. The trio breathed a collective sigh of relief when silence was restored to the kitchen. Blaine turned Eli with an exhausted expression.

"Cereal, sandwiches, or prepackaged foods only, Eli," he recited. The smaller boy wrinkled his nose and gestured to the stove frantically.

"It was a grilled cheese," he protested, "I swear."

"We covered this last time." Blaine countered, "Deli sliced lunchmeat or peanut butter and jelly, but _only_ if you use a spoon." Kurt raised his hand, quirking an eyebrow questioningly.

"You blew up a _grilled cheese_?" he asked incredulously. Eli's cheeks colored and his rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearing his throat and diverting his gaze.

"Eli, well… he's dangerous, to put it simply," Blaine responded with a shrug.

"Hey!" Eli shrieked, smacking the other boy on the arm, "I'm not dangerous, just slightly accident prone and incredibly pyrotechnically gifted."

"He is the reason that we have a padlock on the silverware drawer," Blaine clarified with a chuckle, "and why we put a barricade the bottom of the stairs at night."

"I will not apologize for something I can't control," Eli interrupted, "sleep walking is a completely normal human attribute."

"No it's not," Blaine disputed, "and even if it was, I highly doubt that it would be considered normal for someone to break their arm and catch the kitchen on fire _in their sleep_." Kurt stared at the scene before him, his expression an equal mix of horror and amusement.

"A guy makes something explode in his sleep once and you never let him live it down," Eli complained. "Look, as much as I am enjoying being reprimanded for both my pyrotechnic abilities and my usual sleeping habits-"

"I thought you said it was a 'completely normal human attri-" Blaine interrupted.

"That is beside the point, Anderson." Eli returned the favor, "The point I was getting to, before you _oh so rudely interrupted me_, was that your chattering isn't putting food in my stomach; and since you feel the need to restrict my menu options, I firmly believe that you should make me food."

"Soup?" Blaine offered after a long, dramatic sigh. Eli crinkled his nose and hopped up on one of the barstools lined up at the counter.

"But you made me soup last time," he recounted. Blaine lifted his hands in mock surrender and tossed the remnants of the charred sandwich onto a plate, placing it in front of the auburn-haired boy with a chuckle.

"I will take the soup," he grumbled, pushing away the plate and resting his head on the yellow tiled counter.

"My specialty," Blaine joked.

"You mean the only thing you know how to make." Eli replied, smirking over at the Henkle House prefect. Blaine stuck out his tongue and made his way over to the pantry in the corner of the room.

"Let me do it," Kurt offered, perking up slightly.

"Are you sure?" Blaine inquired, holding up the can of soup in his hands. Kurt nodded eagerly, striding of the Eli and smiling.

"I can cook more than soup," he commented. Eli's eyes widened and he threw his arms around the other boy excitedly.

"Where have you been all my life?" He cried, squeezing Kurt tightly.

"If you want food, you have to let go," the squished teenager wheezed out, patting the other boy on the head. One quick inventory of the fridge later, Kurt began whipping up something that the other two boys didn't even try to pronounce.

"I normally don't consume anything I can't say," Eli murmured, eyeing the pan on the stove warily.

"I can always make soup," Blaine chimed in from across the room, tossing the can between his hands playfully. Eli's eyes widened and shook his head frantically.

"Just stating a fact." he mumbled, "No complaints over here, none all, nope." Kurt chuckled and turned up the heat on the stove. Eli stared hungrily of the counter in front him, squealing excitedly when Kurt slid a plate under his nose.

"Marry me," he groaned around a mouthful of… well, whatever it was. Kurt laughed and shook his head, happily accepting the fork that Blaine handed to him. Eli wrapped an arm around his plate, glaring threateningly at the boys as they neared with their utensils.

"I made it," Kurt teased, "and I have the power to take it away." With that, he snatched the partially eaten meal and dashed out of the kitchen. Eli let out a battle cry and took off after the other boy, leaving a laughing Blaine in his wake. A loud crash had Blaine hurrying out of the room, mere seconds after the pair's departure, and coming face to face with Eli sprawled out at the bottom of the stairwell, holding the plate up triumphantly as Kurt slumped back into one of the steps, clutching his sides as his laughter resounded around the hollow foyer.

* * *

><p>When Thad returned to the house after his last class of the day, he found Kurt, Blaine, and Eli spread out across the common room, covered in flour and sugar as the latter nursed a bump on his forehead. The house smelled up freshly baked, and burnt, goods and there were flour foot prints leading toward the prefect's quarters.<p>

"Seems you'll fit in here just fine," Thad teased, startling all three boys from their exhausted daydreams, "I have to say though, this wasn't what I had in mind when I told you that Blaine had another free period; I feel the need to reiterate that I like the way you think, Kurt."

"Shush," Kurt mumbled with a tired half smile on his face, "you're just jealous that you didn't get to be a part of the awesomeness that was the Great Food Fight of Henkle House 2011."

"Totally epic," Eli murmured, cuddling deeper into the couch he was stretched across.

"Agreed," Blaine managed to say around a rather large yawn. Kurt attempted to sit up, wriggling against the couch until he finally gave up and let his head fall back against the pillow on he was leaning on.

"We burnt some cupcakes if you want some," he offered with a chuckle, "they actually aren't too bad once you scrape the charcoal off." Thad wrinkled his nose and dropped his bag next to one of the armchairs before taking a seat.

"I think I will pass this time," he responded, groaning as his body relaxed against the plush upholstery of the chair.

"Good choice," Lyndon agreed as he exited the kitchen and sat down on one of the couches, pulling Eli's legs into his lap, "Blaine threw one at me and broke that vase outside his room. It was hilarious; you should have seen the look on his face!" The front door burst open and the Triplets skipped in, arms linked together, singing loudly.

"Aw, food fight-" Nick started, unhooking his arms from his brothers' and making his way into the kitchen where Jeff was poking curiously at a cupcake.

"And we missed it-" Nathan continued with a frown.

"Not fair." Nixon finished, plopping down on Blaine's abdomen and grinning wickedly when the other boy slapped his back and forced him onto the ground, "Oh, I'm sorry Blaine, I didn't see you there." Wes and David raced down the stairs, arms overflowing with cupcakes as they launched the burnt treats at two younger boys behind them.

"Don't aim for the face!" The paler of the two boys yelled, dropping his pastries to shield his face from the coming onslaught.

"Lambert!" the other one, a gangly sandy haired boy with silver rimmed glasses perched high on his nose, yelled as he retrieved as much of the fallen ammunition as he could manage on top of his own armful.

"Cade," Lambert mocked, grinning playfully, "the face is what attracts the ladies!" Wes chucked a particularly large cupcake at the pair and scampered off toward the common room, diving behind one of the couches and waving David over.

"Did you finally realize that your 'sweet moves' don't actually work?" A voice called from the window seat, drawing everyone's attention to the boy who was hunched over his sketch pad, his emerald and sapphire streaked raven hair dangling in front of his eyes.

"For your information, Corzen," Lambert corrected with a smirk, "it's the face that hooks them, my moves just keep them coming back for more."

"Pig," Corzen mumbled, tucking a strand of oddly colored hair behind one ear, revealing a silver barbell lodged in the upper cartilage, along with a few rings and studs dotting a path up the lobe of his ear.

"I can't help it that they love me," Lambert responded with a shrug, glaring angrily when a cupcake collided with his left cheek. David and Wes high fived before deciding that they didn't want to face the wrath of an angry Lambert and running out the front door, nearly colliding with a boy who looked identical to Thad. The boy - Chad, Kurt remembered - brushed past Cade and Lambert, shoulders hunched as he made his way to the stairs.

"Damn it!" someone shouted in the kitchen. Kurt lifted his head lazily and noticed that Eli was no longer draped across Lyndon's lap.

"Okay, who gave Eli the key to silverware drawer?" Corzen demanded, attention still focused on his sketchpad. Eli appeared in the doorway, inspecting the fresh cut on his finger before pressing to his lips.

"Cereal, sandwiches, or prepackaged foods only, Eli." Kurt parroted Blaine's words with a dramatic sigh, earning him a round of laughter from the group of boys. Eli held up a freshly opened package of freeze dried noodles helplessly and scrunched his eyebrows together, shying away from a cupcake as it flew past his head. The loud conversation resumed and Kurt was reminded of his earlier assumption that the house would never be silent again. He had never been so happy to be right.


End file.
